


Least Likely

by blynninja



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Family, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, I'm Bad At Titles, Multi, Other, Several years later, Team Dynamics, a smidge of shidge, also Dad!Commander Holt, also at tags, and slightly overprotective brother! matt, friendships, haha i rhyme, idk what else to tag this, so everyone is older
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-23 05:00:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9641723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blynninja/pseuds/blynninja
Summary: "They find Matt and Sam Holt in the least likely place, in the least likely way, that Shiro could have ever imagined."Finding Matt and Sam, but also bonding with some other former captives and some old friends.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that this is AU and several years after S1 and everyone is at least close to adulthood. Also, I've never really hc'd Shiro as 25 (shoot, dude, I'M almost 26!) or Pidge as 14--they're both older in my head and also in this AU. Regardless of canon ages, Pidge is now 17 or 18 at least in this.

They find Matt and Sam Holt in the least likely place, in the least likely way, that Shiro could have ever imagined.

They’re in the middle of a battle with the Galra, in some system whose name he can’t pronounce but that Allura and Coran insist needs liberation, when another Galra ship appears out of nowhere.

It’s Hunk who figures out first that this new ship is rogue and on Voltron’s side, and Shiro trusts his Yellow Paladin’s instincts. Hunk has proven himself a master of both the Paladin Bond and of determining others’ intentions in the few years since they started their mission, so the rest of the team doesn’t even question him.

The rogue ship assists greatly, though Pidge and Keith are skeptical of their pilot, but the battle is won and they hail the rogue ship to join them as they land on a newly-liberated planet.

Hunk’s is the best reaction when the ragtag crew disembarks the ship: he gapes for a moment before whooping joyfully and practically bowling Shay and Rax over in a hug, which the Balmerans don’t seem used to.

Allura looks pleased and asks Shay how they began their small rebellion as a couple of stragglers disembark.

Pidge freezes, and Shiro hears her breathing hitch over the comms, feels her relief and _fear_ over the Bond.

The others turn to look at her, Hunk’s expression the most understanding, and Shiro steps up next to Pidge, a question on his face he knows she’ll read even without the Bond to project it.

Pidge glances at her father and brother, and then back to him, and nods slightly, resolutely.

“Matt! Commander!” Shiro calls joyfully, striding up to his old crew and earning himself a hug from Matt and a handshake from Sam, who looks relieved to see him alive.

“Shiro,” the Commander breathes, and Shiro smiles.

“Let’s get you all settled in the castle, and then we can swap stories, hm?”

The rogue crew follows him to where Allura and Coran stand wearing their most welcoming smiles.

“Welcome, friends. I am Princess Allura of Altea, and this is Coran. Let us get you settled inside.”

The other Paladins follow the princess, but Shiro gestures for them to halt and he knows from the Bond that they are curious.

“Get your Lions back to their hangars and then come straight to the lounge. Leave your helmets on for now.”

He glances at Pidge, still beside him, and the boys all nod in understanding, Hunk grinning.

“They’re gonna be so proud, Pidge,” their big guy enthuses with a thumbs up as Lance and Keith smile encouragingly.

The trio file off to return their Lions to their hangars and Shiro nudges Pidge. “It’ll be fine,” he assures her. “Hunk’s right.”

Pidge nods stiffly and Shiro pulls her into a side-hug before commanding gently, “Go put Green away. I’ll wait for you.”

His youngest charge turns to do just that, and Shiro climbs back into Black to get the Lion back to its hangar, and then waits, as promised, outside of Green’s for Pidge to emerge.

They walk to the lounge in silence, Pidge pausing at the door, and Shiro can tell from the Bond that she’s reassuring herself.

He sets a hand on her shoulder, gently urging her forward, and when the door opens Hunk is grinning broadly from beneath his helmet.

“Ah, there they are!” Coran beams, and the look on his face says he’s been filled in on the helmet situation.

Allura smiles encouragingly at Pidge and then turns to the room at large.

“We are grateful for your help today, friends. Perhaps Shay has told you of the Paladins of Voltron. They wish to introduce themselves and thank you as well.”

Shiro begins, removing his helmet and smiling.

“I am Shiro, Paladin of the Black Lion, the head of Voltron.”

Hunk removes his helmet next, grinning at Shay, and Shiro says, “The Yellow Paladin and left leg of Voltron: Hunk.”

Lance is next, grinning and sending their visitors a thumbs-up as Shiro introduces, “Lance, the Blue Paladin and right leg of Voltron.”

“Keith is the Red Paladin and right arm of Voltron,” he continues as Keith’s helmet is set on the chair next to the Red Paladin.

He looks to Pidge, making sure she’s all right, as he smiles even wider than he thought possible and declares, “And finally, our Green Paladin and the left arm of Voltron, Pidge.”

He glances around the room, seeing the recognition dawn on Sam and Matt’s faces as Pidge tenses and sets her helmet aside.

“We’re grateful that you came to help us in this battle and we’d love to hear how you all banded together—” Shiro looks between Shay and the Holts as he continues, “but I’m sure you’re all tired and hungry.”

Hunk perks up at that and announces, “Coran and I will have food ready before long for anyone who wants!”

He dashes off toward the kitchen, Coran following his lead, as Allura assures their guests, “Any who need a healing pod or rest, please follow me.”

Most of the small crew head off with Allura, but a few follow Shay’s lead after Hunk and Coran, obviously eager for food.

Matt and Sam stay behind in the lounge and Keith gives Pidge’s shoulder a gentle squeeze as he goes to check on the group headed for healing pods.

Lance grins and ruffles the youngest’s hair as he follows the kitchen-bound group, giving Shiro a look as he passes the leader.

Shiro sticks next to Pidge, reassuring her through the Bond, which tells him she wants him to stay.

“Katie?” Commander Holt finally whispers, tears welling in his eyes as he approaches his daughter.

Matt trails behind, eyes wide, and Shiro can only smile.

Katie reaches for her father and the Bond tells Shiro she is about to cry.

And then all three Holts are embracing and crying and laughing, and Shiro forces himself not to join in.

But Katie grips his arm suddenly, the Bond flooding him with what must be all three Holts’ emotions.

He hadn’t realized it could do that, and before he has time to think about it, Sam is wrapping him up in their embrace and he hears Katie chuckle as the Bond tells her of his surprise.

“You’re basically family, Shiro,” she assures him as they stand there in a group hug for a while.

When his hand cramps up around Matt’s shoulder, Shiro eases out of the hug, the others following his lead reluctantly.

“I told you that you would do great things, Katie,” Sam says with a grin, and Katie wipes her eyes.

“I almost forgot what it was like to be Katie,” she admits. “I’ve been Pidge for so long…”

“I made sure she didn’t forget about Katie,” Shiro says before he can stop himself, and Katie smiles at him.

“Yeah, you helped.”

Sam regards him carefully, then looks at Katie (still smiling softly at Shiro), and then raises an eyebrow at his former pilot, who flushes.

“So, how did you end up out here, Katie?” Matt asks then, breaking the short silence. 

It’s Katie’s turn to flush as she explains, “After you went missing, I… I hacked the Garrison and Iverson banned me from the premises. But I needed to know what happened to you, so I became Pidge Gunderson and got into the Garrison so I could keep searching for answers. Lance and Hunk were my team and they followed me to the roof the night that Shiro got back to Earth and we all ended up on the run with Keith, searching for Voltron. We found the Blue Lion, and then Allura and Coran, and the other Lions, and… that’s kind of it. We’ve been fighting the Galra and freeing planets ever since.”

“Shay said Voltron had helped her planet, and Hunk had helped her learn to fight for herself,” Commander Holt says slowly. “I never dreamed that Voltron was a group of… of children, including my little girl.”

Katie smiles as she protests, “I’m not _that_ little anymore, Dad.”

“You’re always going to be my baby sister,” Matt assures her, ruffling her hair.

“Thank you for protecting her, Shiro,” the Commander says then, abruptly, and Shiro blinks.

“Sir?”

“You’re the captain, are you not? I’m sure you’ve worked very hard to keep all of these kids safe. Thank you for taking care of Katie for us.”

There’s something in Sam’s eyes that Shiro can’t quite read, even after all those months together, but he shakes Sam’s outstretched hand and replies, “Believe me, Commander, Katie has done her fair share of the protecting.”

Katie blinks at him for a second and then grins, bumping her shoulder against his arm.

“I guess I have, haven’t I?” she half-laughs, as if just now realizing all that she’s done to get them out of tricky situations.

“You’ll have to share some of those stories with us now that we’re back together,” Commander Holt smiles, wrapping an arm around Katie’s shoulders as Matt grins and bumps his shoulder against Shiro’s.

It catches Shiro a little off-guard that Matt seems to have grown a couple of inches since he’d last seen him, but then, it has been a couple of years, and Katie has gotten a bit taller, too. He supposes it shouldn’t be a surprise, but at least it’s a pleasant one.

“I’m sure you two have some stories to share as well,” Shiro says, dropping his human arm around Matt’s shoulders with a smile. “But first, what do you say we go see what Coran and Hunk have cooked up today?”

Katie nods in agreement as she slips her arm through her father’s and leads the way toward the dining hall, Matt and Shiro falling in behind.

Matt slows his steps so they trail behind a bit more than Shiro is used to, and he gives the older Holt sibling a confused look.

“I always knew you and Katie would get along,” Matt begins with a smirk, and Shiro nearly stops in his tracks, blanching.

“I didn’t realize you’d get along _that_ well.”

Shiro groans, insisting, “Come on, Matt, she’s my teammate! I get along with all the Paladins. We kind of have to.”

Matt just grins and Shiro sighs.

“I forgot how perceptive you Holts can be.”

“You’ve been hanging out with my sister for over two years,” Matt reminds him with a laugh, not believing for a second.

“Can we just go eat something and leave this conversation for later? Like never again?” Shiro suggests with a mock glare.

Matt only laughs at him and replies, “No chance. In fact, I’m pretty sure Dad is going to mention it at some point, so you’re definitely not safe.”

Shiro runs a hand down his face, accepting his fate grudgingly as he glances back up toward Katie and Sam, chatting animatedly several steps ahead.

They reach the dining hall in a moment and Matt and Sam take seats on either side of Katie, which, combined with the other rogues already in the chairs, leaves Shiro to take the seat across from Katie. He’s not sure if this is better or worse than sitting next to her, but it’s the only seat available, so he takes the chair and focuses on chatting with the aliens sitting next to him, listening to their stories of joining Shay and Rax’s little crew.

Matt and Sam chime in when the stories require it, and Shiro listens intently, learning of their escape from the Galra camp they’d been put in and their subsequent joining of the ragtag crew.

Hunk stares at Shay until Shiro reaches out with the Bond and clears his throat, startling the Yellow Paladin out of his reverent mood.

Shiro can feel Pidge’s amusement over the Bond, and Hunk frowns at her briefly, obviously feeling it more strongly than Shiro.

Pidge just sticks her tongue out at Hunk for a second, quickly returning to her conversation with her father.

Hunk sighs and glances around the table, catching Shiro’s eye and shrugging. Shiro just smiles back and finishes his dinner, settling back to watch the rest of the table.

Soon it’s just Hunk, Shay, and the Holts left at the table, and Shiro can tell that Hunk is dying to speak to Commander Holt. He reaches out to the Yellow Paladin through the Bond, assuring him that it’s all right, but still Hunk stays silent, glancing back and forth between Pidge and her father.

Shiro smiles affectionately at his teammate and then clears his throat, piping up, “So, Commander, do you have any plans to write a book on our mission to Kerberos? You had mentioned something about it on our trip there.”

Commander Holt pauses to look carefully at Shiro for a moment, then smiles and says, “I’ve been rethinking that idea, actually. I’ve been considering writing a memoir about our time with the Galra and Shay’s rescue.”

He glances down the table at Shay, who smiles at him warmly, and Shiro wonders if Balmerans can blush.

Hunk grins at Shay and then blurts out, “I know I’d read that! I’ve read all your books! I have them all memorized!”

Commander Holt blinks at Hunk for a moment and then smiles.

“I’m very impressed, Hunk. I never imagined anyone would commit my works to memory.”

Hunk flushes and says quickly, “I just love science, and I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time. I can’t even believe I’m talking to you!”

Pidge grins and looks to her father. “I think Hunk is your biggest fan, Dad. The machine he made to find the Blue Lion was based on something in one of your books.”

“Wow!” Matt grins, looking to Hunk. “That’s incredible, Hunk! I can’t even memorize a paragraph of Dad’s books.”

Hunk’s blush deepens and Shiro reaches out affectionately with the Bond, grinning when Hunk looks up at him.

“Hunk was our engineer at the Garrison,” Pidge volunteers, smiling. “He does a lot of help with maintenance on the Lions, too. He’s pretty much a genius.”

“Who, Hunk?” Lance asks, sweeping into the room with a tray of food goo. “Oh, yeah, he’s way smart! He helped me study at the Garrison all the time. He always aced all his exams.”

“Laaaaaance,” Hunk whines, smiling despite his discomfort.

“What? It’s true, buddy!” Lance grins, patting Hunk on the back.

Shiro has learned that despite his intellect and desire to help with things, Hunk is not a fan of being in the spotlight. He knows that Hunk is pleased, though, to be recognized. He can feel it over the Bond, underneath the embarrassment.

“Hunk is usually the only one who can keep up with Pidge’s science tech stuff,” Lance offers with a grin.

Shiro smiles, watching as Katie grins and launches into a description of something that has Lance blinking in confusion as Matt and Sam follow along with smiles and Hunk responds animatedly, not even noticing that Shay is staring at him almost in awe.

Shiro catches the Balmeran’s eye and smiles, nodding toward the hallway. Shay smiles back and together they get up from the table, quietly exiting the dining room. “Hunk seems to be enjoying himself,” Shiro comments as Shay falls into step beside him, and she smiles back at him.

“Yes, it has been wonderful to see all of you again, as well,” Shay replies.

“I have to admit, I was surprised to see you piloting a ship,” Shiro begins, smiling lightly when Shay flushes a bit, and then continues. “But I was impressed. Did you teach yourself to fly?”

Shay nods slightly. “Hunk showed me how the Yellow Lion was piloted, and Rax and I studied the ships that malfunctioned on the Balmera. We practiced for a very long time before we felt were able to fly one properly to assist Voltron.”

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Shiro says sincerely. “It really helped today.”

“I’m glad we could be of assistance,” Shay smiles back. “I should go check on my brother and the others in your healing pods.”

“Of course,” Shiro replies. “Do you need help finding the medical bay, or your rooms?”

“I believe I will be fine,” Shay assures him with a smile. “I have visited the castle-ship before. I believe I remember where everything is.”

“I’d almost forgotten,” Shiro chuckles, scratching his neck. “It’s been a while, but you were on the ship at least once, weren’t you? The layout hasn’t changed, so I’ll leave you to go check on your friends.”

Shay nods at him and then turns down the hallway toward her brother’s room as Shiro decides he needs to check on the rest of his crew.


	2. Chapter 2

When Shiro enters the med bay, Allura is helping one of the rogue aliens out of a pod, and Keith is kneeling next to a younger alien that Shiro recognizes as the child of one of the others in a pod.

He opts to join Keith first, adopting an even more relaxed stance than usual so as not to scare the child.

“How’s it going, guys?” he asks cheerfully, stepping up behind Keith and waving at the alien child, who blinks at him.

“Oh, hey, Shiro,” Keith smiles back, glancing at the little yellow alien. “We’re doing okay, I think. Just waiting for Xivit’s mother to get out of her pod.”

“I see,” Shiro replies, glancing to Allura as he asks, “Did the princess say how long your mother would be in the pod, Xivit?”

The child, which Shiro is pretty certain is a boy now that he’s closer, sniffs, still blinking at him, and Keith answers for him, “Probably another half hour or so. She’s got a couple of broken bones and things, but she’ll be okay.”

“Half an hour, hm?” Shiro asks, thinking for a moment. “That’s kind of a long time, don’t you think? Would you like to go explore the castle while you wait, Xivit?”

Shiro holds out his human hand to the little alien patiently, smiling brightly. “I’ll bet we can find Lance and have him help show you around.”

As he suspects, Lance catches his intent over the Bond and is in the med bay doorway in less than a minute, beaming.

“Did someone say ‘Lance’?”

It works just the way Shiro hopes: the fact that Lance is naturally good with kids seems to get across to Xivit, and the boy actually smiles, an image that Shiro commits to memory.

“Hey, Lance!” Shiro grins. “I was just suggesting to Xivit here that we should take a tour of the castle while we wait for his mom to get all patched up in her healing pod. What do you say?”

Lance positively _beams_ and agrees emphatically, “I think that’s a _great_ idea, Shiro!”

The Blue Paladin turns to the little alien and smiles. “Your name’s Xivit, huh? I’m Lance. Nice to meet you! Do you want to come explore the castle with me?”

Xivit nods slowly, standing and taking Lance’s offered hand.

Lance grins at Shiro and then turns to Keith, challenging, “Should we see who can show Xivit the coolest thing in the castle?”

Keith sits up straighter at that, nearly leaping from his seat. “You’re on, McClain.”

“Be careful, guys,” Shiro admonishes, catching Allura’s smile out of the corner of his eye as his Blue and Red Paladins set off at a brisk pace, Xivit trailing in between them, staring in awe.

Shiro sighs and Allura announces, “There you are, Kilax, all fixed up.”

“Thank you, Princess,” the little blue alien says gratefully, though stays seated on the table Allura has helped him to.

“Are you all right?” Shiro asks, on the alert.

“Yes, yes, I am fine,” Kilax assures him, sighing. “I am just tired. It is not easy growing old, you see.”

Shiro nods in understanding, recognizing now that the small alien is slightly stooped with age. How much this elder must have seen, he ponders.

“The others will all be out within hours,” Allura says, a note of relief in her voice, and Shiro nods in satisfaction.

“Thank you for taking care of them,” he says gratefully, and Allura smiles back at him.

“Of course. I am happy to take care of allies.”

There’s a pause, and then Allura asks, “How is Pidge? And her father and brother?”

Shiro nearly laughs at that, assuring her, “They’re doing great. I left them talking with Hunk at the table. I’m sure he’s still talking Sam’s ear off.”

“I am glad they are finally reunited,” the princess says, a hint of sadness in her tone, and Shiro sets his human hand over hers, smiling encouragingly.

Allura smiles back, but the silence is broken by Kilax shifting in his seat, moving as though he wants to leave.

Shiro snaps to attention at the movement, asking, “Would you like to go eat something, Kilax? Hunk and Coran made quite the dinner.”

Kilax smiles at him gratefully but waves a hand as he gets off of the table, replying, “I am sure I can find the dining hall myself. You all must be tired, as well, after that battle with the Galra. I will leave you to… debrief, or rest.

Shiro rubs the back of his neck, an awkward habit he has tried to train himself to forget, and glances at Allura.

“Did we need to debrief, Princess?” he asks, frowning slightly. “I guess we were all so excited about everything we may have forgotten.”

Allura waves a hand dismissively, replying, “I do not think there is a need at the moment. We could all use some downtime, and Pidge should spend time with her father and brother.”

The princess looks at him curiously, but then shakes her head like she’s telling herself not to do something.

Shiro tilts his head. “What is it?”

Allura sighs and busies herself with checking the pods as she asks, “Is it strange for you? Seeing the two of them after so long apart?”

Shiro pauses to consider the question, and then replies, “A little. I feel guilty for injuring Matt, and for being the one to escape. That’s the hardest part of seeing them again. Everything else—that they’re alive, and that they’ve been with Shay, and that they have Pidge back—makes me very happy to see them again.”

Allura hums as she inspects one of the alien’s vital monitors and Shiro wonders why she asked.

“I think I’m going to go check on the others,” he says quickly, backing toward the door.

Allura barely acknowledges his departure and Shiro sighs as the door clicks shut behind him.

A glance at the time tells him it’s been maybe ten minutes since he sent Keith and Lance off with Xivit and he decides to track them down to make sure they’re not scaring the poor little guy.

He is pleasantly surprised to find them in the dining room, not bickering, and listening to Commander Holt tell a story that includes Xivit, who’s sitting in the Commander’s lap. Apparently the two had formed a bond in the last few months, and Shiro smiles.

Matt sits, grinning, at his father’s tale and tickling Xivit periodically, the little alien beaming at the attention. Shiro guesses Matt has built a relationship with the younger boy, as well.

Pidge’s smile can’t hide the feelings that he catches across the Bond: joy, some sadness, and Shiro’s pretty sure there’s a touch of jealousy as well, for this tiny alien who has captured her father’s heart.

Shiro doesn’t realize how long he’s been leaning in the doorway until Allura sweeps up behind him, a couple of aliens in tow. He glances at them, noting the smile on the face of the one who must be Xivit’s mother, and smiles back at her.

The other two aliens wander into the dining hall and Matt smiles at them, inviting them to sit and eat something, which they do.

“Commander Sam has been like grandfather to Xivit,” Xivit’s mother confides quietly, folding her hands in front of her. “And Matt like older brother. Xivit love them very much.”

Shiro can’t help but smile as he responds quietly, “They are very good friends of mine, and they are the Green Paladin’s family.”

Xivit’s mother blinks at him curiously for a moment before she returns his smile and walks quietly, almost noiselessly, into the dining hall, catching only Sam’s attention.

The Commander smiles but doesn’t stop his story, narrating with hand motions and silly voices that Shiro wonders if he used to use to tell his children stories. The thought makes him strangely happy, and Pidge glances at him, lifting an eyebrow.

He conveys nonchalance over the Bond, an air of “nothing important,” but Pidge knows him too well, as evidenced by the rolling of her eyes and a feeling across the Bond that she’ll figure it out eventually.

Shiro chuckles quietly to himself, and then jumps as he remembers that Allura is still behind him. He turns to look at the princess and sees tears trailing down her cheeks.

Alarmed, Shiro reaches for her. 

“Allura, are you all right?”

The princess sniffs daintily, wiping her tears as she replies, “I was just remembering my father.”

Shiro nods in understanding, remembering the day Allura had had to shut down her father’s AI to save them. She still misses him very much, he knows, and reminders like these have to be painful. But she bears that, like everything else, with a grace that Shiro has come to admire and respect in these last few years.

Commander Holt has finished his story by now, if the lack of hand motions is any indication, and Xivit is rushing to embrace his mother as the others look on with smiles.

Shiro slips into the room and stations himself behind the Holts, observing the rest of the room as people come and go for a little while.

Eventually Allura announces that the castle-ship will be beginning its night cycle soon, and suggests that everyone retire to their rooms.

Hunk, still staring rather starry-eyed at the Commander, jumps as Lance’s amusement hits him across the Bond, and the Yellow Paladin rushes to help Coran put away dishes and leftover food, babbling away about things Shiro can’t quite comprehend.

Xivit’s mother, who Shiro now knows as Xarla, moves to take her sleepy son from Commander Holt again, but he stands carefully and insists, “I’ll walk you to your room.”

Xarla nods and leads the way as Lance yawns and stretches before shoving himself out of his chair.

“G’night, everybody,” the Blue Paladin says around another yawn, purposely (Shiro thinks) almost hitting Keith in the face this time.

The Red Paladin frowns but returns the sentiment, looking to the Holt siblings as he says, “Night, Pidge. Matt.”

“Good night, guys,” Pidge replies, waving sleepily, and Matt nudges her.

“Bed, little sister.”

Pidge groans and stretches, insisting, “No, I have too much to do on the Lions to go to bed yet.”

“Your brother’s right, Pidge,” Shiro puts in, conveying his insistence across the Bond. She’s tired, and she knows it.

Pidge projects annoyance right back at him, but it’s followed by something quieter and more acquiescent as the Green Paladin slumps slightly in her chair.

Shiro sighs fondly and, ignoring the look Matt gives him, picks Pidge up and proceeds to carry her to her room.

It’s something he hasn’t done in a while, but for a time it was habitual, finding Pidge curled up in some corner of the castle at any given hour of the night and depositing her gently into her bed, where she belonged. She always slept better when she was exhausted, he had figured out, not unlike his own sleep patterns.

Matt trails after him and Shiro fights the annoyance rising in his mind.

Pidge’s amusement is clear across the Bond, even when she’s half asleep, and Shiro wishes she weren’t so perceptive.

She’s deeply asleep by the time he lays her in her bed, thankfully devoid of robot parts and whatever else she might have been working on in the last few days.

Matt takes over as Shiro steps back, tucking his sister in carefully and brushing a hand over her hair affectionately as Shiro tries not to intrude on the moment.

They step back out into the hallway and Shiro braces himself for the questions.

“How often have you had to do that?” Matt asks, and the quiet way he asks it gives Shiro pause.

“For a while, almost nightly,” he finally says, meeting Matt’s curious gaze. “She used to work herself to exhaustion so she didn’t have to dream. She’d fall asleep all over the castle, and we’d find her at all sorts of strange hours and bring her back to her room.”

“We?” Matt repeats, blinking as they head down the hallway toward his room.

“The others have trouble sleeping sometimes, too,” Shiro says, smiling ruefully. “Sometimes Lance or Keith would find her and they’d come wake me up because they didn’t think they could manage carrying her, especially after she grew a little. Hunk wasn’t as worried about her dead weight, but he was always concerned about waking her up if he wasn’t careful enough.”

Matt grins sadly. “Yeah, she gets cranky if you wake her up too early.”

“So we’ve discovered,” Shiro smiles back, catching the regret in Matt’s eyes as his friend looks toward the floor.

“Hey, she’s been a great asset to the team,” he assures Matt, resting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “And she’s never stopped looking for you and your dad. She’s incredible and you should be really proud of her.”

“We are,” Commander Holt says for Matt, and Shiro looks up to realize he hadn’t even seen the man come around the corner ahead of them.

“We’re very proud of Katie, and of your team,” Sam reiterates, setting a hand on Shiro’s shoulder.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Shiro says sincerely, smiling at his mentor.

“It seems you’ve all developed quite the bond in these last years,” Sam says carefully, a look Shiro doesn’t quite trust in the older man’s eyes.

“It’s partly out of necessity,” he says truthfully. “When you end up in the middle of nowhere outer space in a giant mechanical lion, you develop a rather rapid connection.”

He smiles as he continues, “But being Paladins is all about connections. We have a mental bond that’s grown stronger the more time we spend together. I can tell what the others are thinking, at least partly, over that Bond. It helps us grow as a team.”

“Are any of your individual bonds stronger than others?” Sam asks, looking at him meaningfully.

Shiro smiles. “I knew Keith before Kerberos, so our connection is slightly different from the others. Hunk seems to be the master of the Bond at this point, so his connection to each of us is stronger than our connections to each other. But you’re asking about Katie, aren’t you?”

Sam raises an eyebrow and Matt barely holds back a chuckle as Shiro stares steadily at the Commander, who purses his lips.

“Well, yes,” Sam replies, smiling slightly. “Your rapport with her seems slightly different from your relationship with the others, and I have to wonder why.”

Shiro pauses to collect his thoughts, and then explains, “When I first met Katie, she was masquerading as a boy named Pidge. I figured out later, when Pidge started yelling about you being his family, that I was looking at Katie. I didn’t tell the others because it was her secret to share when she was ready. She did, eventually, and it didn’t change team dynamics at all. She’s still Pidge, still brilliant and cunning and determined and curious.”

Sam watches Shiro carefully, shifting his weight as Matt looks on curiously as Shiro continues.

“Katie is remarkable. I think the fact that I had spent so much time listening to your stories of her that I started out with a slightly deeper connection with her than the others, even when I didn’t know Pidge was Katie. Somehow she gets me better than the others in small ways, and that’s helped our Bond strengthen too. We’ve gotten to know each other well in the last few years, but—”

Here Sam’s eyes widen just a bit and Matt tilts his head.

“—I’m her team leader. My job is to keep the team running and make sure we all get back to the ship safely. Those are my intentions, and they apply to each of my teammates.”

Sam blinks slowly and then claps Shiro on the back, chuckling.

“I appreciate your candor, Shiro, and your commitment to your team. But you _are_ allowed to see your team as more than just charges for whom you are responsible.”

It’s Shiro’s turn to blink as Sam begins walking to his room, not even sparing him a second glance.

Matt pats Shiro’s shoulder encouragingly as he passes, grinning and following his father to their room.

Shiro stands in the hallway for a few minutes, blinking and trying to process that thought.

Hunk nearly collides with him as he rounds the corner and the Yellow Paladin yelps, nearly jumping backward in his surprise.

“Oh, sorry, Hunk,” Shiro says, setting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I just…”

“You’re just standing here, outside Pidge’s door, staring into space?” Hunk supplies, frowning, and Shiro can feel him prodding gently with the Bond, trying to figure out what’s got his team leader so perplexed. Shiro doesn’t try to deflect it.

“Did Commander Holt say something?” Hunk asks, his eyebrows knitting together as he pieces it all together.

“He asked you about Pidge, didn’t he?”

Shiro sighs as he nods and Hunk winces sympathetically.

Of all of them, Shiro knows Hunk has caught the things between him and Pidge most, and understands the best out of the team, Shiro figures.

“Sorry, Shiro, but the Commander is her dad, and he’s bound to be protective when he’s noticed what I’ve been noticing. Especially when he hasn’t seen Pidge in so long.”

Shiro sighs and runs his hand over his face as Hunk pats his upper arm.

“Want to talk about it?”

Shiro waves a hand, insisting, “No, we should all be heading to bed. It’s been a big day and we can all use the sleep.”

Hunk nods, his smile tired but genuine as he waves goodnight and heads for his own room.

Shiro does a sweep of the castle to be sure everyone is in their room or headed that way before returning to the hall of Paladin rooms, listening for familiar sounds from each teammate’s room.

Finally, when he’s satisfied everyone is where they ought to be, and the castle has gone dark, Shiro crawls into his bed and finds that sleep comes more easily tonight than it has.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I have Shidge on the brain. Um??? But. This is several years later, so Pidge is more like 18ish sooooo.
> 
> I don't know where some of this came from, tbh.
> 
> I love the idea of the Bond strengthening and being able to tell more of each other's feelings via Bond. Also that Hunk is the most perceptive, because Hunk needs some more love.

**Author's Note:**

> This got a little bit longer than I intended, so I'm splitting it into at least two chapters. We'll see what happens. I have part of the second typed out but it's got a little way to go and who knows what the story will do. Yay, writing, right? lol
> 
> It's been months since I've posted anything, and that was mostly because my laptop charger got chewed through and it took me forever to get a new one that actually worked. Super fun. Anywho. I didn't stop writing, just posting, because I prefer to do this part of it from my laptop. So yay new charger and more posting.


End file.
